All of Me

Happy Hour

Naomi Monroe

"Wow, I can't believe this huge undertaking has come to an end," Eric says before taking another sip of his beer. Today was our last day working in San Francisco and now we're doing a happy hour here at the co-working space. In the three months we've been here, I hired a total of four people for NotionX's satellite office and Diane decided to stick around - bringing the team to a total of five.

"I wouldn't call it an 'end' so much as a new beginning," Diane replies proudly. "We've really done a great job at establishing NotionX as a player in the media here over the course of just three months. Honestly, we couldn't have done it without Naomi's leadership."

"You give me too much credit! It couldn't have happened without you two."

"Yeah, yeah... Let's just all pat ourselves on the back," Eric chuckles before turning his attention to Diane. "So, are you excited about your new life here? I can't believe you decided to stay."

"Well, it works out that I already have some family here and I've always wanted to live on the west coast anyway. I also think it would make sense for us to have someone from the original office here and Naomi agreed!"

"Hey," I shrug. "I'm just glad it all worked out with you staying here!"

"Speaking of 'staying here,' you're hanging out in California for another week, aren't you, Naomi?"

"Yeah, there are still some sights I wanted to see and I haven't taken a real vacation in a while. Plus, NotionX is paying my travel expenses and the Laurents are letting me extend my time at the hotel another week for free. It's working out to be one of the cheapest vacations I've experienced."

Eric and Diane nod in agreement and we hang out in the bar area to socialize with our new colleagues and the other startups and entrepreneurs that work here whom we've grown to know over the past three months.

A smile etches into my face when the man I've been waiting for arrives to our happy hour. It actually made sense to invite Sebastien because his interview played a huge role in our magazine's skyrocketing popularity and his family is still mostly bankrolling us.

Sebastien walks in with Alana and a few of the startup founders who don't work in this building that he connected us with for interviews and other exclusives. I subtly bite my bottom lip because he looks good. I love it when he wears dark colors and tonight, he went for a dark blue button up that is hugging his body in all the right places.

"Naomi!" Alana beams and rushes up to hug me. She was definitely born for her job because her persistence, albeit annoying at times, somehow makes her more likable. I think it's because her passion for her work is so admirable.

"Naomi," Sebastien greets me casually with a handshake before doing the same with the others and once all the introductions are over, happy hour really gets started.

Sebastien Laurent

We've gotten good at playing things cool, but Naomi has been eyeing me all night and while she manages to hide it from other people, it is not lost on me. I don't think she knows what it does to me when she looks at me that way, but I will most definitely be showing her as soon as we get to my house.

However... For now, I have other plans.

I pull out my phone, pretending I've just received an urgent text so I can excuse myself from the group that I am sitting with.

"Even on Friday nights, duty calls," I groan, feigning annoyance before walking away. I go into the stairwell - avoiding the elevator so no one knows which floor I've gone to - and as I make my way to the third floor, I text Naomi.